2026 Allison’s Blog

Conversations & Discussions Comparing Communication Styles in Costa Rica and Japan In this week’s class, we discussed conversations and discussions in different cultures. The lesson made me think about how people choose topics, express opinions, react to disagreement, and deal with silence. These small details can change the way a conversation feels, especially when people come from different cultural backgrounds. According to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, culture can influence how people understand hierarchy, relationships, and communication in society. This is important because conversations are not only about words, but also about respect, context, and social expectations. Costa Rica vs Japan One difference between Costa Rica and Japan is how people communicate in social situations. In Costa Rica, conversations are usually warm, expressive, and friendly. People may talk openly about personal experiences, family, goals, or daily life. In Japan, conversatio...

Intercultural Development Continuum  Understanding Japanese Culture Through a Costa Rican Perspective In this week’s class, we learned about the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC), a concept that explains how people understand and react to different cultures. The stages are denial, polarization, minimization, acceptance, and adaptation. I think this concept is very useful because many people experience culture shock when visiting Japan for the first time. According to the Intercultural Development Inventory (n.d.), intercultural competence develops through different stages of understanding and adapting to cultural differences. Costa Rica vs Japan One major difference between Costa Rica and Japan is punctuality. In Japan, trains, classes, and meetings are extremely punctual, while Costa Rican culture is usually more relaxed with time. Another difference is behavior in public places. Japanese people are usually quiet on public transportation, while Costa Rican...

Inviting Guests: Costa Rica and Japan Comparing hospitality, etiquette, and social customs between two cultures. Share Your Thoughts How do people invite guests in your culture? Are visits usually formal or informal? Please leave a comment below and share your experiences or opinions about hospitality and social customs.      This week’s lesson about inviting guests helped me compare Japanese culture with the culture of Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, inviting people to our homes is usually informal and friendly. Family members, friends, and neighbors often visit each other freely, especially during weekends or celebrations.      Costa Ricans value hospitality and personal relationships, so offering coffee, snacks, or a meal to guests is considered polite and welcoming. Spending time together at home is an important part of social life and helps strengthen social connections (Eve...

Cultural “Other” Awareness Understanding differences, respecting perspectives, and connecting across cultures. Share Your Thoughts Before reading, think about your own culture and Japan. Are there any similarities or differences in how people greet strangers, make small talk, or show respect? After reading, please leave a comment below with your opinion or feelings about cultural “other” awareness. In this week’s class, I learned about the importance of cultural “other” awareness and cultural perspectives. Cultural awareness means understanding and respecting the differences and similarities between cultures. Every culture has its own communication style, traditions, and social behaviors. By learning about other cultures, people can improve communication, reduce prejudice, and build stronger relationships. One interesting topic was how people behave when meeting strangers for the first time. In Japan, peo...

This week’s topic made me reflect on how sleep and rest are influenced by culture. I realized that sleep is not only about health, but also about daily routines and social expectations. In Japan, it is common to see people sleeping in public places like trains or even at work. This is connected to long work and study hours. As a matter of fact people see tiredness as something to praise, giving the idea of someone who worked really hard. Research shows that people in Japan tend to sleep less than people in many other countries. For example, a study found that Japanese adults often sleep less than 7 hours per night on average (Seol et al., 2025). In addition, other research explains that long working hours and social pressure are important factors that reduce sleep time in Japan (Kajitani, 2021). However, it is well known that people in Japan work really hard from a really young age,, which leads to fewer hours of sleep. From a health perspective for foreigns, this may not create a goo...

This week’s lesson helped me understand how important it is to know my own culture before trying to understand others. Cultural self-awareness means understanding my own values, assumptions, and ways of thinking, and how they affect how I see people from different cultures. One idea that helped me understand this better is the Cultural Iceberg Model, which explains that we can only see part of a culture, while many important things are hidden (Hall, 1976). This made me realize that many misunderstandings happen because of things we cannot see. This week’s lesson helped me understand how important it is to know my own culture before trying to understand others. Cultural self-awareness means understanding my own values, assumptions, and ways of thinking, and how they affect how I see people from different cultures. One idea that helped me understand this better is the Cultural Iceberg Model, which explains that we can only see part of a culture, while many important things are hidden (Ha...